Jones, Heide, 77, of Smithfield Township, PA, passed away on Saturday, January 14, 2017, surrounded by family. Born November 26, 1939 in Berlin, Germany, she was the daughter of the late Wilhelm Quattelbaum and Auguste Sanio Quattelbaum Gebel.
She was last employed by a non-profit organization, Gay Men's Health Crisis.
As a child, Heide fled from the Russians in Germany during WWII. This experience laid the groundwork for her strong advocacy of civil rights later in life. In 1969 Heide came to the US, settling in Georgia before moving to Florida, New Jersey and finally Pennsylvania. Heide was an avid flower gardener and had a love for all animals, particularly birds. She was also very artistic and enjoyed drawing and painting.
Surviving are her son, Thomas Jones and his wife, Stephanie of Gillette, NJ; two daughters, Karin Whalen and her husband, David of Ridgewood, NJ and Ingrid Brown and her husband, Butch Harris of Harrisburg, PA; a brother, Jürgen Gebel of Patong, Thailand; a sister, Monika Clayton and her husband Tony of Browns Mills, NJ; and 9 grandchildren, Dylan Jones, Alicia, KeeAuna, Tatiana and Wolfgang Whalen, Jordan, Joshua and Jaden Brown and Lola Harris. Heide also had many cousins and close friends in Germany. The family will receive guests at Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, NJ on Thursday, January 26th, 2017 from 6-9PM with a Celebration Of Life at 8PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the ASPCA, Gift Processing Center, PO Box 96929, Washington, DC 20077-7127 or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065.
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